Narrow down your products, services to boost your business

One quiet evening, my wife, Sarah, walked in to find me sprawled on the couch, a beer in one hand and the remote in the other.

I was caught in the infinite-death scroll of Netflix.

“What have you been up to?” she asked.

Honestly, I didn’t have an answer.

That night, the house was all mine. Sarah was off to her quirky “Witchy Bingo” night with friends, and our kids were scattered between their grandparents and buddies.

As I aimlessly navigated through Netflix, searching for the perfect James Bond-like action flick, I was overcome with indecisiveness. 007 used to be simple when it was just Sean Connery and some inappropriately named girlfriends.

I made something simple and fun but overwhelming

Despite extensive research and reviews, I just couldn’t pin down a movie that was just right.

The paradox of choice had struck me and I was down for the count!

This same overwhelm extends far beyond choosing a movie on Netflix.

It permeates (my dictionary word of the day) through our personal lives and into our business world, making it a universal phenomenon (my second dictionary word of the day.)

As a business coach and explainer video creator, I’ve observed how being overwhelmed can cripple decision-making and hinder progress.

For my Explainer Video business, I initially, offered all of the videos – whiteboard videos, animated whiteboard videos, 2D animated business-friendly videos, and more.

The options seemed endless.

When it came to the length of the video, I offered everything from a 30-second commercial to a 15-minute training video.

Great right?

Nope.

While diversity can be an asset, it also turned into a stumbling block. Prospective clients were overwhelmed with choices, making it difficult for me to close sales.

Here’s what I recommend to help alleviate overwhelm in your business:

*Limit Your Offerings: Just like my experience with video types, businesses often offer a range of services. For instance, a handyman service might boast of their ability to do everything from plumbing to roof tinkering. Financial advisors may offer a plethora of services, like tax planning, estate planning, insurance, and more. However, having a surplus of options can overwhelm potential customers. Narrow down your offerings to the top two or three things you excel at. This approach helps reduce decision paralysis for your customers and allows you to focus on your strengths.

*Don’t Bombard with Information: We live in a world where we are bombarded with around 5,000 to 10,000 marketing messages each day. Overflowing inboxes, constant advertisements, and incessant notifications are part of our daily lives. In such an information-dense world, less is more. Simplify your messaging and ensure your audience can easily understand what you offer.

*Gradual Introductions: While limiting your immediate offerings, remember that you can always introduce additional products or services later. Once your customers get to know your core services, they are more likely to be open to exploring additional offerings.

In the end, I learned that the art of simplifying and reducing choices is crucial, not only in business but also in our personal lives.

Life, just like Netflix, is full of choices.

The challenge is to master the art of simplifying these choices, in order to overcome overwhelm.

Charles Alexander is director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center
at Volunteer State Community College.